Hazardous Waste Sites

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria were used in determining which sites would be eligible to deal with hazardous waste; and if she will make a statement

Elliot Morley: holding answer 29 November 2004
	With the ending of the co-disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste in landfills, operators had to decide on the classification for each of their landfill sites post 16 July2004. For those sites that choose to be designated as hazardous waste landfills, operators had to apply to the Environment Agency for a permit that contained the operating conditions for the site. The Agency had to then decide whether a permit should be issued and, if so, what operating conditions should be applied.
	The requirements for a hazardous waste landfill are set out in the Landfill (England and Wales) Regulations 2002, as amended by the Landfill (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 and related Pollution Prevention and Control Legislation. Those sites designated as hazardous but have yet to complete the permitting process, can continue to accept hazardous waste under the terms of its waste management licence until such time as a decision on the permit application is made. The Environment Agency is unable to issue a permit unless the necessary planning permissions are in place.
	Government Ministers have no role in this process unless an appeal against a decision by the planning authority or the Environment Agency is made. Ministers adjudicate on those appeals.

Climate Change

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the impact of climate change on the developing world.

Hilary Benn: DFID uses the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports and other multilateral assessments of climate change and potential impacts. However, it is clear that currently available information is inadequate. DFID has jointly commissioned, with Defra, a study on African climate research needs which is due to report this December. Climate change is a major theme of DFID's Research Strategy and we have commissioned a needs assessment to inform a call for new research proposals next spring.
	DFID is also taking steps to help developing countries manage the risks of climate change and develop effective adaptation strategies. We have produced guidance for our country programmes and climate is included in our environmental screening procedures for all bilateral programmes.
	DFID is working to integrate climate change risk management into the development and environmental safeguard policies of the main multilateral development institutions, starting with joint work on risk management with the World Bank in 2005.
	Helping developing countries to meet their growth and energy needs through the adoption of more energy efficient technologies will also be crucial to tackling climate change. DFID is exploring ways to increase support for low carbon development with international development banks, including the World Bank.

Departmental Costs

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the total external spend by his Department was on public partnership consultants in each of the last two years; how many full-time equivalent consultants were employed over this period; how many billed consultancy days there were per year; what the implied average cost of each PPP consultant was; how many consultancy firms were used by his Department over this period; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: DFID has no public partnership arrangements.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many departmental mobile telephones were used by Ministers, special advisers and officials in his Department in each year since 1997; at what cost; how many such telephones were lost or stolen in each year since 1997; and what the replacement costs were in each case.

Hilary Benn: Mobile phones were not managed under a central contract prior to 2003–04, and therefore information for earlier years (and information on mobile phones in overseas offices) is not readily available and could not be provided without incurring a disproportionate cost. Similarly, the costs incurred through the replacement of the individual phones stolen are not readily available and so also could not be provided without incurring a disproportionate cost.
	Over the last two years, the number of mobile phones in use in the UK, and their costs (including equipment, call charges and access charges) as follows:
	
		
			  Number of mobile phones (£000) 
		
		
			 2003–04 230 89,500 
			 2004–05 (to date) 434 92,800 
			
		
	
	These figures include the two mobile phones for Ministers and two for the special advisers.
	The total number of mobile phones lost or stolen since 2001 is 28, broken down as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2001 5 
			 2002 6 
			 2003 13 
			 2004 6 
		
	
	No information is available on phones lost prior to this period.

Fallujah

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what action the UK is taking to ensure emergency water and electricity supplies are provided to the citizens of Fallujah;
	(2)  what assistance is being provided by the United Kingdom to restore essential utilities infrastructure to Fallujah;
	(3)  what resources the UK plans to provide to assist in the re-building of Fallujah;
	(4)  what emergency (a) medical supplies, (b) personnel and (c) equipment will be provided by the United Kingdom to assist those injured by coalition force attacks upon Fallujah.

Hilary Benn: The Interim Iraqi Government (IIG) is leading on humanitarian and reconstruction work in Fallujah and has established a central team to co-ordinate its assistance to the people of Fallujah. This assistance includes: supplying food, water and medical supplies, restoring essential services, and refurbishing medical facilities. The UK is in close contact with the IIG, and DFID is providing advice to its Fallujah co-ordination team.
	The IIG and the Multi-National Force operating in Fallujah have reported that there is no humanitarian crisis so far and humanitarian visits to Fallujah by British military officials confirm this assessment. Multi-National Forces have reported that their stockpiles of humanitarian supplies have provided for the immediate needs of Fallujah's civilians. Iraqi Government and Iraqi Red Crescent trucks containing humanitarian supplies are now entering the city and the distribution of food, water, and medical supplies has begun. Injured civilians are being treated in mobile hospitals in Fallujah, or have been taken for treatment at hospitals in nearby towns.
	The Interim Iraqi Government (IIG) has also set aside significant funds from the Iraqi government budget for reconstruction work. The IIG is being supported by the Multi-National Force, which also has considerable resources for immediate post-conflict reconstruction work in Fallujah, including clearing rubble and the restoration of water, sewerage and electricity services. United States agencies have planned around 100 reconstruction projects in the Fallujah area totalling $84.1 million. These are due to begin soon and should complete by the end of January.
	DFID is maintaining close contact with the IIG, with representatives of Multi-National Force-Iraq, and with humanitarian organisations on the ground, to address the needs of Fallujah's population. DFID is ready to respond positively to requests for humanitarian help or further advice in Fallujah or elsewhere.

Multinationals

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with multinational companies on (a) their responsibilities for the environment and (b) employment of local people in developing countries; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: I talk to multinational corporations about range of issues, including environment and employment.
	DFID works in partnership with governments, the private sector, international financial institutions, non-government organisations and trade unions to encourage good corporate and public sector governance. DFID aims to help improve the business and investment climate so as to maximise the positive impact in developing countries.
	If for example, DFID works closely with, among other partners, oil, gas and mining multinationals on the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. This is increasing the transparency of revenues paid to governments by extractive industry companies and the receipts recorded by host governments. Transparency is not, however, an end in itself but will increase the accountability of those governments to use these revenues for sustainable development and poverty reduction goals.
	DFID promotes adherence to the "Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (published by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2000). The guidelines encourage multinationals to raise their environmental and social performance and call on them to:
	(1) Commit to the continual improvement of environmental management performance, developing environmental management systems and ensuring better contingency planning to manage negative impacts.
	(2) Ensure "to the greatest extent practicable" employment of local personnel and the provision of training to improve local skills and capacity in developing countries in which they operate.
	The Guidelines do not replace local laws but promote standards of behaviour supplemental to local laws.
	In addition, DFID continues to support specific labour and employment programmes within developing countries.
	Through a Strategic Grant Agreement with the Trades Union Congress DFID is helping UK trade unions to support workers in developing countries. This may include ensuring preference being given to local people when multinationals operate in developing countries.

Business Support Initiatives

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses have been assisted by (a) the UK High Technology Fund and (b) Regional Venture Capital Funds in each (i) region and (ii) constituency since 2000.

Nigel Griffiths: As at 31 October 2004 the Regional Venture Capital Funds (RVCFs) had assisted 140 businesses. This number can be broken down regionally as follows.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 East Midlands 21 
			 East of England 4 
			 London 16 
			 North East 23 
			 North West 19 
			 South East 26 
			 South West 6 
			 West Midlands 18 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 7 
		
	
	A breakdown of constituencies that have one or more assisted businesses, for the most recent period available up until 31 December 2003, follows:
	Analysis by constituency of businesses assisted by RVCFs in the period up to 31 December 2003:
	East Midlands
	Blaby
	Bosworth
	Daventry
	Gedling
	Lincoln
	Loughborough
	3x North West Leicestershire
	Northampton North
	Nottingham East
	Nottingham South
	South Derbyshire
	South East Cambridgeshire
	South West
	Bath
	North Cornwall
	Somerton and Frome
	South West Devon
	North West
	Altrincham and Sale West
	Bolton West
	Ellesmere Port and Neston
	4x Manchester Centre
	St. Helens South
	West Lancashire
	London
	Battersea
	Bethnal Green and Bow
	2x Enfield North
	Feltham and Heston
	Islington South and Finsbury
	Kensington and Chelsea
	2x Regents Park and Kensington North
	Ruislip Northwood
	West Midlands
	Birmingham Ladywood
	3x Coventry South
	Newcastle under Lyme
	2x Warwick and Leamington
	West Worcestershire
	Worcester
	South East
	Ashford
	Basingstoke
	2x Beaconsfield
	Brighton Pavilion
	Christchurch
	Costwold
	Faversham and Mid Kent
	Guildford
	Harrow East
	Mid Sussex
	Milton Keynes North East
	Milton Keynes South West
	Oxford East
	South West Surrey
	Southampton Itchen
	Tonbridge and Malling
	2x Tunbridge Wells
	Wealden
	Winchester
	North East
	Blyth Valley
	Houghton and Washington
	East Jarrow
	2x Newcastle upon Tyne Central
	Stockton North
	6x Tyne Bridge
	Tynemouth
	Yorkshire and Humber
	Calder Valley
	2x City of York
	Harrogate and Knaresborough
	Hull East
	Note:
	1x assisted business per constituency listed unless otherwise stated.
	As at 30 June 2004 the UK High Technology Fund had invested in nine private equity partnerships, which in turn have assisted a total of 173 businesses. The information necessary to determine both a regional and constituency breakdown of assisted businesses is not made available to us by the UK High Technology Fund.

Research and Development

Hilton Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures are being taken (a) to prevent the best young scientists from leaving (i) research and (ii) the UK and (b) to attract young scientific talent from abroad.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 29 November 2004
	The evidence base for a brain gain/drain is uncertain, with some recent studies showing the UK as a net beneficiary of science, engineering and technology (SET) skills. Therefore, the Office of Science and Technology is taking forward a study to provide a clear and usable definition of the brain drain to ascertain whether the UK SET base is currently experiencing a net brain drain of SET personnel qualified to at least PhD level and to provide an analysis as to what the future balance of inward versus outward migration of SET personnel might be.
	A number of schemes have been implemented in the UK which aim to attract scientific talent from abroad. For example, the Research Councils operate the Dorothy Hodgkin Postgraduate Awards scheme that provides PhD scholarship for students from India, China, Hong Kong and the developing world.
	The Roberts' Review (SET for Success, 2002) included recommendations that focused on the supply of scientists and improving the attractiveness of research careers. In its strategy for science, "Investing in Innovation", the Government made a commitment to implement measures based on these recommendations. These included increasing Research Council postdoctoral researchers' salaries by around £4,000 by 2005, increasing the average Research Council PhD stipend to £13,000 by 2005, providing young researchers with two weeks a year of transferable skills training, and establishing a new academic fellowship scheme that will provide more stable and attractive routes into academia. The 2004 Spending Review settlement will provide additional funding to extend the average duration of Research Council PhD awards to three-and-a-half years, and further increase the level of Research Council PhD stipends by at least inflation.
	The work of the UK Resource Centre for Women in SET (science, engineering and technology) includes sharing good employment practices, and supporting women returners. A contribution from the Department for Education and Skills will enable the Resource Centre to develop a scheme dedicated to encouraging more female SET undergraduates to take up SET professions.

Expenditure

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the expenditure per pupil was in the Bassetlaw constituency over each of the last 10 years for (a) nursery education, (b) primary schools, (c) secondary schools and (d) further education.

David Miliband: The information requested for nursery education, primary schools and secondary schools is submitted to the Department according to local education authority areas, rather than districts within an LEA. Bassetlaw forms part of Nottinghamshire LEA. The information requested can be found in the following table:
	
		
			  £ 
			  School based expenditure4,5 per pupil(7) 
			  Pre-Primary Education(9) , (10) Primary Education(10) Pre-Primary and Primary Education (10) Secondary Education Combined LEA and school based expenditure(8) per pupil (9) 
		
		
			 Pre LGR Nottinghamshire(2) , (3)  
			 1993–94 n/a n/a 1,630 2,370 2,700 
			 1994–95 n/a n/a 1,700 2,400 2,670 
			 1995–96 n/a n/a 1,690 2,360 2,590 
			 1996–97 n/a n/a 1,720 2,360 2,580 
			 1997–98(2) n/a n/a 1,720 2,380 2,570 
			 Nottinghamshire (2) , (3) 
			 1998–99 n/a n/a 1,810 2,390 2,650 
			 1999–2000(2) 12,360 2,010 2,030 2,540 2,620 
			 2000–01 10,660 2,220 2,240 2,710 2,800 
			 2001–02 16,270 2,410 2,430 2,970 3,040 
			 2002–035,10 n/a 2,500 n/a 3,030 3,120 
		
	
	(2) 1999–2000 saw a change in data source when the data collection moved from the RO1 form collected by the ODPM to the Section 52 form from the DfES. 2002–03 saw a further break in the time series following the introduction of Consistent Financial Reporting (CFR) and the associated restructuring of the outturn tables. The change in sources is shown by the dotted line.
	(3) Financial data is collected at local authority level and not constituency level and as such figures provided are for Nottinghamshire LEA.
	(4) Local government reorganisation (LGR) took place in Nottinghamshire during 1998 where pre-LGR Nottinghamshire was split into Nottinghamshire LEA and City of Nottingham LEA from 1998–99 onwards.
	(5) School based expenditure includes only expenditure incurred directly by the schools. This includes the pay of teachers and school-based support staff, school premises costs, books and equipment, and certain other supplies and services, less any capital items funded from recurrent spending and income from sales, fees and charges and rents and rates. This excludes the central cost of support services such as home to school transport, local authority administration and the financing of capital expenditure.
	(6) The 2002–03 calculation is broadly similar to the calculation in previous years. However, 2001–02 and earlier years includes all premature retirement compensation (PRC) and Crombie payments, mandatory PRC payments and other indirect employee expenses, while in 2002–03 only the schools element of these categories is included. In 2001–02 this accounted for approximately 70 per pupil of the England total, while the schools element of these categories accounted for approximately 50 per pupil of the England total in 2002–03. Also, for some LEAs, expenditure that had previously been attributed to the school sectors was reported within the LEA part of the form in 2002–03 and would therefore be excluded from school based expenditure, though this is not quantifiable from existing sources.
	(7) To calculate school based expenditure per pupil, the pupil numbers include only those pupils attending maintained establishments within each sector and are drawn from the DfES Annual Schools Census adjusted to be on a financial year basis.
	(8) The combined LEA and school based expenditure includes all expenditure on the education of children in LEA maintained establishments and pupils educated by the LEA other than in maintained establishments. This includes both school based expenditure and all elements of central LEA expenditure except youth and community and capital expenditure from revenue (CERA).
	(9) To calculate combined LEA and school based expenditure per pupil, the pupil figures include all pre-primary pupils, including those under 5s funded by the LEA and being educated in private settings, pupils educated in maintained mainstream schools and other LEA maintained pupils. The pupil data for pupils attending maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special schools are taken from the DfES Annual Schools Census. Private voluntary and independent (PVI) under 5 pupil numbers are taken from the Early Years census but are only included for 1999–2000 onwards. For 1995–96 onwards other LEA maintained pupils are included in the pupil count. This includes all pupils attending schools not maintained by the Authority for whom the Authority is paying full tuition fees, or educated otherwise than in schools and pupil referral units under arrangements made by the Authority drawn from the Form 8b submitted to the DfES. Also included as other LEA maintained pupils are all pupils attending pupil referral units who are not registered at a maintained mainstream school drawn from the DfES Annual Schools Census.
	(10) Expenditure was not distinguished between the pre-primary and primary sectors until the inception of Section 52 for financial year 1999–2000.
	(11) School based expenditure in nursery schools was not recorded in 2002–03.
	(12)
	(13) Spending in 1997–98 reflects the transfer of monies from local government to central government for the nursery vouchers scheme. These were returned to local government from 1998–99.
	(14) The 1999–2000 figures reflect the return of GM schools to local authority maintenance.
	(15) Figures are rounded to the nearest £10.
	(16) n/a = not available
	(d) The Department does not collect information on the level of funding per pupil in further education at the local or regional level. However, the following table shows funding per full-time equivalent student in further education in England from 1994–95 to 2003–04:
	
		
			  FE total funding per pupil 
		
		
			 1994–95 3,080 
			 1995–96 3,040 
			 1996–97 3,050 
			 1997–98 3,070 
			 1998–99 3,090 
			 1999–2000 3,380 
			 2000–01 3,640 
			 2001–02 4,050 
			 2002–03 (17) 4,120 
			 2003–04 (18) 4,240 
		
	
	(17) Provisional Data
	(18) Planned Expenditure
	Notes:
	1. These are cash figures that show total funding for the further education (FE) sector.
	2. The figures include moneys provided for participation and certain funding for earmarked purposes, including capital, the Standards Fund and other special grants to colleges.
	3. The figures are consistent with those published in the DfES "Departmental Annual Report 2004".

Overseas Voter Registration

Nigel Evans: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, To ask the honourable Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what discussions the Electoral Commission has had with British embassies and high commissions on assisting them to encourage overseas voters to register for general elections.

Peter Viggers: Electoral Commission staff have had discussions with officials at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the provision of information to overseas posts about electoral registration and voting. The Commission informs me that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has offered to circulate publicity material produced by the Electoral Commission(such as leaflets and posters(through its network of overseas posts and via its website.

Cancer Treatment (Bassetlaw)

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the survival rate for patients with cancer at Bassetlaw hospital was in each of the last 20 years.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len cook to Mr. John Mann, dated 6 December 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question concerning what the survival rate for patients with cancer at Bassetlaw Hospital was in each of the last 20 years. (201091)
	Cancer survival rates are only available for specific cancers and hence do not indicate overall survival rates for all cancer patients. Rates are not available for individual hospitals, NHS Trusts or Primary Care Organisations. However, figures for the major cancer sites are available for current Strategic Health Authorities and were previously produced for the former Health Authorities.
	The latest available one and five-year survival rates at the sub-national level are for patients 1 diagnosed during 1994–96 and followed up to 31 December 2001. These data are available for Trent strategic health authority, which contains Bassetlaw primary care trust.
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D8028.xls
	Figures for earlier years were for North Nottinghamshire health authority (which included Bassetlaw Hospital). These covered: patients diagnosed during 1992–94 and followed up to the end of 1999,
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D4878.xls
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D5388.xls
	and patients diagnosed during 1993–95 and followed up to the end of 2000.
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D5389.xls
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D5392.xls
	1 Adults aged 15–99 years.

International Finance Facility

Tony Baldry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer to whom the International Finance Facility will be accountable.

Stephen Timms: The UK's proposal is that the IFF will be a temporary financing framework specifically designed to raise and allocate money needed to meet the MDGs by 2015. It will be subject to a set of overarching principles, which will govern disbursement and will be agreed at the establishment of the IFF, and which could include, for example, conditions that funds must be used for poverty reduction and not tied to contracts using suppliers from the donor country. Participating donors will therefore control the IFF's mandate on poverty reduction and its accountability. Reflecting the partnership between donor countries and developing countries, recipient countries would have a significant role within the facility.

Savings

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the change in personal and retirement saving between 1997 and 2004.

Stephen Timms: Individuals save in a variety of assets, from deposit accounts,
	pensions, stocks and shares, to homes and businesses.
	Total household assets—including savings, pensions, life insurance and housing—currently stand at over £6 trillion. Total household net wealth—the excess of household assets over debt—has risen by around 50 per cent. in real terms since 1997.
	The Government are committed to a policy framework that enables people to choose how and when to save across the full range of asset-building activities.
	Government policy on saving and pensions has had a very positive effect. The Government provides tax support of £2 billion every year for savers through Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and other products, resulting in increased take-up of ISAs by both low-income groups and the young. The Government also provides generous tax relief for pension saving worth over £11 billion per year in net terms to individuals and employers and is simplifying the pensions regime by replacing eight regimes with just one, providing greater choice and flexibility to 15 million pension savers.
	The Government's wide-ranging support for saving and pensions includes: empowering individuals with financial information; promoting simpler, fairer and more trusted savings and pensions products, including through the suite of 'Stakeholder' products; and providing targeted incentives and support for saving throughout people's lives—from childhood, to working life and into pension age, including through the Child Trust Fund, Individual Savings Accounts, pensions and the use of matching, as in the Saving Gateway.

Equatorial Guinea

Michael Ancram: To ask the Prime Minister whether (a) he, (b) Ministers and (c) officials had discussions in an official capacity with the former right hon. Member for Hartlepool during the last 12 months concerning Equatorial Guinea.

Tony Blair: I have had no discussions at any time about Equatorial Guinea with the former hon. Member for Hartlepool. Officials in No. 10 discussed with him on one occasion recent media reports that named the former hon. Member in connection with the attempted coup.

Derelict Buildings (Derry)

John Hume: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many buildings in Spencer road in Derry are classified as derelict; what estimate he has made of the value in rates that these buildings would contribute if they were brought back into use as business premises; and how many of these buildings are in Government ownership.

John Spellar: Government do not hold information on the number of buildings on Spencer road that are classified as derelict. Valuation and Lands Agency has confirmed that derelict property does not appear in the Valuation List, as it is not capable of occupation. The Valuation and Lands Agency only assesses the rateable value of such property if and when it becomes capable of occupation. No estimates are made of potential rates liability except in the case of buildings which are to be refurbished for future Government occupation and which are to be subject to an economic appraisal. No such estimates have been prepared for buildings on Spencer Road.
	In relation to property in Government ownership, the Department for Social Development owns the Distillery Brae site, which fronts onto Spencer road and comprises of 11 vacant and derelict buildings, and a site at the junction of Spencer road and Lower Fountain Hill, comprising of 350 sq m of land.

Driver and Vehicle Testing Centres

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the average waiting time is for people applying to take a driving test at each driver and vehicle testing centre in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The following table shows the average waiting time between 9 August and 29 November 2004 for all driver test categories.
	
		
			 Test centre Average (days) 
		
		
			 Armagh 33 
			 Ballymena 36 
			 Balmoral 16 
			 Coleraine 39 
			 Cookstown 36 
			 Craigavon 25 
			 Dill Road 17 
			 Downpatrick 43 
			 Enniskillen 62 
			 Lame 47 
			 Lisburn 41 
			 New Buildings 18 
			 Newry 54 
			 Newtownards 44 
			 Omagh 43 
			 Waterside 50 
		
	
	The overall average waiting time for all driver test categories from 9 August to 29 November 2004 was 38 calendar days.

Driver and Vehicle Testing Centres

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people are waiting on the list for a driving test in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) each of the driver and vehicle testing centres in Northern Ireland; and what the average time is that people are on the pending list in each case.

Angela Smith: At 1 December 2004 there was a total number of 675 people on the pending list—defined as applications received but not yet appointed—for all driver categories. The following table shows the breakdown by test centre.
	The average time for customers on the pending list is not available for each centre, but the average for all centres is 26 days.
	
		
			 Test centre Applications pending 
		
		
			 Armagh 6 
			 Ballymena 11 
			 Balmoral 327 
			 Coleraine 15 
			 Cookstown 1 
			 Craigavon 51 
			 Dill Road 121 
			 Downpatrick 11 
			 Enniskillen 4 
			 Lame 8 
			 Lisburn 5 
			 New Buildings 47 
			 Newry 27 
			 Newtownards 3 
			 Omagh 12 
			 Waterside 26

Resources

Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the impact the level of resources available in 2004–05 will have on (a) education and (b) health provision.

Angela Smith: A total of £1.655 billion has been allocated for Education in 2004–05, a 7.9 per cent. increase on 2003–04. This is to maintain service levels, provide for ongoing costs of teachers' pay progression, support for special education pupils, and schools in interface areas, as well as measures to take forward the reform of post-primary education and the new Northern Ireland Curriculum. It will also provide for significant investment in the schools estate.
	In light of overspending by two Education and Library Boards' in 2003–04, these Boards are having to take measures to contain expenditure within their 2004–05 allocations. Containment plans received from both Boards are being examined carefully to assess the impact that their proposed actions are likely to have and the scope there might be to minimise any impact on front-line services.
	In health and social services, a total of £3.125 billion has been allocated for 2004–05. This investment has enabled levels of services delivered in previous years to be maintained and is also providing for a range of service development across a number of key priority areas. These include, for example, action designed to improve access to GPs and other primary care professionals, an increase of the number of people being supported in community settings, continued action to reduce hospital waiting lists and waiting times, an increase of the number of patients with arthritis who have access to drug therapies, the provision of better support for children and young people in need and the continued promotion of healthier lifestyles.

Dobson Report

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects her Department to respond to the report "Getting serious about play" by the committee chaired by the right hon. Member for Holborn and St Pancras (Mr. Dobson).

Estelle Morris: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will write to the right hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras shortly setting out her response to his review.

Cricket (Zimbabwe)

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has met the England and Wales Cricket Board to discuss future matches in Zimbabwe.

Richard Caborn: Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State nor I has met the ECB to discuss future matches in Zimbabwe and we have no plans to do so in the near future. As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary said on 6 May, at a joint press conference with David Morgan, Chairman of the ECB, and myself: "It is appropriate for the Government to express a view about issues of this kind. We would have preferred the tour to be postponed until the situation in Zimbabwe improves. But it is right that in our system it is for sporting authorities to make the decisions in cases such as this".

ITV Regional Companies

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sportwhat recent discussions she has held with Ofcom regarding ITV's regional television commitments.

Tessa Jowell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon Member for Selby (Mr. Grogan) regarding regional commitments.

National Lottery/Grants

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what contribution grants from Lottery distributors have made to combating social exclusion in Glasgow.

Estelle Morris: Lottery distributors are required to take into account the need to reduce economic and social deprivation in making awards.
	It can be difficult to determine precisely the extent of their contribution to reducing social exclusion but a significant number of Lottery-funded projects have helped to regenerate inner cities, create employment and strengthen communities. Maryhill, Glasgow has received over 300 awards totalling over £46,000,000 from the Lottery.

BBC (Regional Services)

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sportwhat account she will take during BBC charter renewal of the services provided by the BBC to the nations and regions of the UK.

Tessa Jowell: The BBC's services to the nations, regions and communities of the UK are central to Charter Review—indeed my independent adviser, Lord Burns, recently hosted a public seminar on exactly this subject. Full transcripts and video are available from the Charter Review website.

Swimming Pools

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to prevent closures of (a) indoor and (b) outdoor swimming pools in London.

Richard Caborn: There are currently 104 swimming pools in London open to the public.
	The Government accept that all sports facilities eventually come to the end of their useful life and need to be closed or replaced. However, it is important that we continue to provide new or replacement swimming facilities where there is a gap in local provision.
	In the last ten years Sport England has awarded lottery grants for the construction of 92 swimming pools in this country(eight of these were London projects.

Gypsies and Travellers

Peter Luff: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make it his policy to license caravans used by gypsies and travellers to facilitate identification of the owner when this is needed to enforce planning law and policy.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not intend to introduce such a policy. If licensing and registration of caravans was to be introduced, it is very difficult to see how it could be restricted to particular categories of keeper, such as "gypsies" or "travellers".

Gypsies and Travellers

Peter Luff: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, under what ethnic status gypsies and travellers are classified in relation to planning law.

Keith Hill: The planning definition of a gypsy does not rely on ethnicity. Gypsies are defined in section 16 of the Caravan Sites Act 1968 as persons of nomadic habit of life, whatever their race or origin, who wander or travel for the purpose of making or seeking their livelihood.

Gypsies and Travellers

Peter Luff: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether regional spatial strategies are required to take account of provisions for gypsies and travellers; and whether they will specify pitch numbers that must be provided by each local authority in the region.

Keith Hill: Gypsy and traveller accommodation needs must, in the future, be assessed by each local authority as part of the overall local housing assessment process. Data from these assessments will feed into the evidence which underpins Regional Housing and Spatial Strategies. The Regional Planning Body will consider overall regional need and put into the Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) the amount of site provision needed in each local authority area during the RSS period.

Health Services (Lewisham, Deptford)

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) doctors and (b) nurses were employed by the NHS in health facilities in the Lewisham, Deptford constituency in (i) 1997, (ii) 2001 and (iii) 2004.

Stephen Ladyman: The information is not available in the format requested. Information for Lewisham hospital NHS trust and Lewisham primary care trust is shown in the following table for the years 1997, 2001 and 2003, which is the latest year available.
	
		Hospital, public health medicine and community health services (HCHS) doctors, general medical practitioners (excluding retainers), nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff and GP practice nurses for specified organisations
		
			   1997 
			Of which:  Of which: 
			   All doctors HCHS doctors(35) General Medical Practitioners (excluding retainers)(36) Nurses Nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff GP practice nurses 
		
		
			 QO7 South East London 3,663 2,795 868 10,845 10,338 507 
			  Of which:   
			 RJ2 Lewisham hospital NHS Trust (37)— 202 (37)— (37)— 848 (37)— 
			 5LF Lewisham PCT (37)— — (37)— (37)— — (37)— 
		
	
	
		2001
		
			Of which:  Of which: 
			   All doctors HCHS doctors(35) General Medical Practitioners (excluding retainers)(36) Nurses Nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff GP practice nurses 
		
		
			 QO7 South East London 4,279 3,375 904 12,122 11,533 589 
			  Of which:   
			 RJ2 Lewisham hospital NHS Trust 269 269 — 906 906 — 
			 5LF Lewisham PCT 159 — 159 93 — 93 
		
	
	
		2003
		
			Of which:  Of which: 
			   All doctors HCHS doctors(35) General Medical Practitioners (excluding retainers)(36) Nurses Nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff GP practice nurses 
		
		
			 QO7 South East London 4,514 3,535 979 14,440 13,930 510 
			  Of which:   
			 RJ2 Lewisham hospital NHS Trust 279 279 — 1,085 1,085 — 
			 5LF Lewisham PCT 176 10 166 448 355 93 
		
	
	(35) Excludes hospital medical hospital practitioners and hospital medical clinical assistants, most of whom are GPs working part-time in hospitals.
	(36) All practitioners (excluding retainers) includes GMS practitioners, PMS practitioners, GP registrars.
	3 Denotes not available.
	(37) Denotes zero.
	Notes:
	1. GP retainers were first collected in 1999 and have been omitted for comparability purposes.
	2. PCTs did not come into existence until 1 April 2000, prior to this data was only available at health authority level which does not compare with present day organisational structure.
	3. Data as at 30 September each year except GP and practice nurse data as at 1 October 1997.
	Sources:
	1. Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics
	2. Department of Health Medical and Dental Workforce Statistics
	3. Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census

Ozone

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what evidence he has gathered to support a connection between levels of ozone in the atmosphere and premature deaths; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: The Department's Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) 1 summarised the evidence on the connection between levels of ozone in the atmosphere and premature deaths in 1998. It was concluded that an association existed and was reasonably consistent across Europe and the United States. Further research has been published since that time, including, very recently, two large studies combining results from groups of European cities and groups of US cities. An updated review of the health effects of ozone, under preparation by COMEAP, will address this new evidence and will be published next year.
	1 Department of Health Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants Quantification of the Effects of Air Pollutants in the United Kingdom—The Stationery Office London 1998.
	The Department has also commissioned research in the United Kingdom on this issue. Details are included in the list of Department's funded air pollution research projects at the website address given below and a copy has been placed in the Library 2 .
	2 www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HealthAnd SocialCareTopics/AirPollution/fs/en.

Walnuttree Hospital (Risk Assessments)

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the two most recent Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service risk assessments of Walnuttree hospital in Sudbury.

Stephen Ladyman: I regret that Suffolk fire and rescue services have not undertaken any risk assessments at Walnuttree hospital in Sudbury. West Suffolk hospital undertook a fire risk assessment in 2003 and I understand that copies are available from the trust.
	The trust recently commissioned an independent review of Walnuttree hospital at the end of October 2004. The independent review was carried out by Auditing Investigating Management Services. The report was published on 18 November 2004 and copies can be obtained from West Suffolk hospital.
	West Suffolk Hospitals National Health Service Trust met with the Suffolk divisional fire officer to agree a way forward following the recommendations made in the independent report. Suffolk fire service stated
	"they would need more time to consider the findings of the independent report. However, the service's recommendations would be aimed at ensuring that fire safety measure at Walnuttree hospital were robust enough to provide a satisfactory level of fire safety until December 2007, the expected date of the opening of the new building".

Money Claim Online Scheme

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much the Money Claim Online scheme has cost the Department to run in each calendar year since its introduction.

David Lammy: The cost to the Department of running Money Claim Online software systems in the first quarter to March 2002 was £221,286; in 2002–2003 the cost was £885,144 and for the period April 2003 to September 2004 the cost was £442,572.

Benefit Call Centres

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  whether benefits claimants who attend at Jobcentre Plus offices must claim benefits by telephoning a call centre elsewhere;
	(2)  whether benefits calls centre staff are able to make decisions about eligibility for benefit.

Jane Kennedy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Jobcentre Plus, David Anderson. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from David Anderson to Vera Baird, dated 6 December 2004
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions concerning whether benefits claimants who attend at Jobcentre Plus offices must claim benefits by telephoning a Call Centre elsewhere, and whether benefit Call Centre staff are able to make decisions about eligibility for benefit. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	We are establishing a number of contact centres that allow customers the flexibility of using many of the services Jobcentre Plus provides without the need to travel to local offices. In areas where this new process has already commenced, customers are asked to telephone the relevant Contact Centre to make their initial claim to benefit. If a customer has already travelled to the Jobcentre Plus office, they can use a 'warm phone' in that office to make the call. In exceptional circumstances, customers may have a face-to-face interview.
	Contact Centre officers do not make decisions regarding eligibility to benefits. They collect information for benefits to which customers have potential eligibility. This information is forwarded to Decision Makers for decisions on entitlement to benefits.
	I hope this is helpful.

Disability Benefits

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was of administering the appeals system for (a) incapacity benefit, (b) severe disablement allowance and (c) disability living allowance in each quarter in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: This is a matter for Christina Townsend, Chief Executive of the Appeals Service. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Christina Townsend to Mr. Paul Holmes, dated 6 December 2004
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to respond to your question asking what the cost was of administering the appeals system for (a) incapacity benefit (b) severe disablement allowance and (c) disability living allowance in each quarter in each year since 2001.
	The table below shows the estimated cost for administering incapacity benefit, severe disablement benefit and disability living allowance appeals. We do not hold exact figures for each benefit type, so the amounts quoted are calculated on average administrative and judicial costs, including overheads.
	
		2001–02
		
			  £ 
			  Q1 Q2 Q3 04 Total 
		
		
			 INCAP 2,025,710 1,828,920 1,848,933 2,178,027 7,881,589 
			 SDA 92,280 113,404 81,162 70,044 356,890 
			 DLA 4,716,279 4,214,855 4,042,525 4,388,296 17,361,955 
			 Total 6,834,268 6,157,179 5,972,619 6,636,367 25,600,434 
		
	
	
		2002–03
		
			  £ 
			  Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total 
		
		
			 INCAP 2,362,133 2,503,296 2,478,593 1,929,232 9,273,254 
			 SDA 59,994 45,878 34,114 117,636 257,623 
			 DLA 4,296,070 4,096,089 3,934,928 4,437,234 16,764,321 
			 Total 6,718,198 6,645,263 6,447,635 6,484,102 26,295,198 
		
	
	
		2003–04
		
			  £ 
			  Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total 
		
		
			 INCAP 3,222,761 2,626,808 2,633,379 3,047,769 11,529,997 
			 SDA 27,950 29,165 18,228 18,228 93,572 
			 DLA 4,289,723 4,180,353 4,067,338 4,839,002 17,376,416 
			 Total 7,540,434 6,835,607 6,718,946 7,904,999 28,999,985 
		
	
	I hope this reply is helpful.

Disused Petrol Stations

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of disused petrol stations which do not meet the requirements of the Public Health Act 1961; how many improvement notices have been issued under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974; and what further steps are planned to deal with the potential detrimental effects to the environment of disused petrol stations.

Jane Kennedy: The local Petroleum Licensing Authority enforces the safety of disused petrol stations. There is no statutory obligation on them to keep records of how many sites do not meet the requirements of the Public Health Act 1961. There is also no statutory obligation on them to keep records on how many improvement notices they have issued under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 in relation to disused petrol stations. As such, it is not possible to provide the statistics requested.
	The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) groundwater protection code on filling stations contains advice on decommissioning underground storage tanks, and the Environment Agency has powers to enforce the code. In general, the agency expects risks to groundwater from decommissioned tanks to be lower than from active tanks since, at worst, only residual fuel would be likely to remain. The Environment Agency's risk-based approach to groundwater protection and improvement will be taken forward under the Water Framework Directive. Local authorities also have duties under Part 11A of the Environmental Protection Act to identify contaminated land and secure remediation which may involve the Environment Agency.

IBM UK Pension Fund

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will establish an independent inquiry into the handling by the Pensions Ombudsman of the complaint by members of the IBM UK pension fund; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Pensions Ombudsman is an independent statutory Commissioner and I cannot comment on his determinations or on actions taken during his investigation of complaints. Copies of his determinations are available on the Pension's Ombudsman's websitewww.pensions-ombudsman. org.uk.
	Complainants who are unhappy with the Pensions Ombudsman's determinations have the option of appealing to the High Court on a point of law. They must do this within 28 days of receiving the determination in England and Wales and 14 days in Scotland. They could also ask for the determination to be judicially reviewed, and must make an application within three months of the determination being issued.
	If complainants are unhappy about the service received from the Pensions Ombudsman, an MP can refer the matter to the Parliamentary Ombudsman. She may review the way that the case was handled but will not consider formal decisions (i.e. determinations) made by the Pensions Ombudsman or his staff.

National Insurance

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2004, Official Report, columns 43–4W, on contracted-out rebates, what his assumptions are of the number of people who are contracted out in 2004–05; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is in the table:
	
		Million
		
			 Type of Scheme Number of people contracted out in 2004–05 
		
		
			 Contracted-out Salary Related Scheme 7.0 
			 Contracted-out Money Purchase Scheme 0.6 
			 Contracted-out Mixed Benefit Scheme  
			 Appropriate Personal Pension Scheme 3.3 
			 Total (39)11.0 
		
	
	(39) Numbers do not sum to total due to rounding to the nearest hundred thousand
	Note:
	1. The estimates are based on the numbers contracted-out in 2000–01, the latest year for which information is available; they are for Great Britain and are consistent with those used by the Government Actuary to estimate the cost of the rebate for the 2004 pre-Budget report.
	2. The numbers are based on those shown in the departmental publication "Second- Tier Pension Provision" published in March 2004 but exclude:
	(a) data for Northern Ireland as estimates for the pre-Budget report are based on Great Britain only; and
	(b) people earning below the lower earnings limit.

Telephone Response Times

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to improve response times to the Department's free telephone number.

Chris Pond: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Jobcentre Plus, David Anderson. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from David Anderson to Mr. David Hamilton, dated 6 December 2004
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning plans to improve response times to the Department's free telephone number. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	It may be helpful if I first explain that Jobcentre Plus Direct uses an advanced call centre telephony system to support the customer services delivered by Jobcentre Plus direct contact centres. These services, which include first customer contact in making claims for working age benefits, do not include the administration of the Social Fund. The administration of the Social Fund is currently delivered from within the district field network, using standard telephony, which is available in almost all Jobcentre Plus local offices. The telephony used to deliver the Social Fund is not part of the Customer Management System IT project.
	By way of background, Crisis Loan applications by telephone was introduced in Bathgate Jobcentre Plus office on 18 November 2002 and subsequently rolled out to the remainder of the old Lothian and Borders district by August 2004. In what is now the new restructured district, crisis loan applications by telephone have been in operation for approximately one year.
	There are currently 9 telephone lines available within Bathgate Jobcentre Plus office to deal with Crisis Loan applications. The average time taken for the end to end process from the point of call receipt is between 30 to 45 minutes.
	A review of this system is currently in progress which is expected to report by mid January 2005; however as an interim measure the hours of the telephone service have been extended from 9.30am to 4pm to 8.30am to 4.30pm (Monday to Friday).
	BT has also been asked to evaluate the current telephone system and invited to offer suggestions for improvement.
	I hope this is helpful.

European Constitution

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the effect of the coming into force of the European Constitution on the operation of his Department, with reference to (a) changes in legislative competence, (b) the extension of qualified majority voting, (c) the increased legislative role of the European Parliament, (d) the cost of implementation of regulations, (e) the requirements of adherence to the Charter of Fundamental Rights and (f) the quantity of legislation originating in the EU institutions.

Tony McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 November 2004, Official Report, columns 10–11W, by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. MacShane).

Young Offenders

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of young offenders were (a) illiterate and (b) innumerate (i) at assessment on entry to young offenders institutions, (ii) 25 per cent. of the way through their custodial sentence, (iii) 50 per cent. of the way through their custodial sentence, (iv) 75 per cent. of the way through their custodial sentence and (v) on completion of their custodial sentence in the latest year for which statistics are available.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 29 November 2004
	For the period April 2002 to March 2003 the results of the basic skills assessment screening tests at male young offender establishments were as follows:
	
		2002–03: Young offender establishments
		
			   Percentage 
			  Number tested Below level 1 At level 1 Above level 1 
		
		
			 Spelling 14,742 47.9 38.8 13.3 
			 Punctuation 14,233 60.2 31.1 8.7 
			 Reading 17,721 38.7 28.5 32.8 
			 Numeracy 18,442 46.4 31.7 21.9 
		
	
	Information regarding progression relative to the proportion of sentence served is not available; however, the number of achievements gained by juvenile and young offenders for the same period is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Entry Level 2,227 
			 Level 1 2,673 
			 Level 2 1,326 
			 Total 6,226 
		
	
	For the period April 2004 to August 2004 information on the basic skills level at induction is available for juveniles only and is as follows:
	
		April to August 2004 Percentage
		
			  Juvenile only 
			  Pre-Entry Entry 1 Entry 2 Entry 3 Level 1 Level 1 + 
		
		
			 Female   
			 Literacy 1 9 14 34 31 11 
			 Numeracy 13 2 29 37 18 2 
			 Male   
			 Literacy 5 5 20 39 24 8 
			 Numeracy 4 6 26 41 19 2